Magnetic wire playing device



l Aug. 8, 1950 w. w. BIRKEs r-:rjAL

MAGNETIC WIRE PLAYING DEVICE s sneetssheet 2- Filed Nov. 30, 1948 m .l mm N @LN 3 Q I- II I T M .m .l I QV O @u UW IR. A ww NW d /l ,kmh MN N.QN QNBMJ m QN L mb RN k .NN INN www ww UN .W K.\ fi Q W N MJ w. w.BIRKEs rAL MAGNETIC WIRE PLAYING DEVICE Aug. 8, 1950 Fild Nov. so. 194s1.

5 Sheets-Sheet` 3 zy Te T3. T

75 a/o MP1. /F/ER u Edwin Ff Hembree (lttorneg Patented ug. 8,

Wilbur W. Birkesand Edwin F. Dallas, Tex

Hembree, 1

A 'Applicatif-Nevembtr 30, 1948.- Sefil No: 62,635" f 'l This invention'relates to al magnetic wire-playing `device and; more particularly, toa device forreproducing music or speech that is impressed upon a Wirerecord by'al magnetic wire" recorder.

As is Well known in the art, a wire of magnetizable material; such assteel, of the order of f/iodoi an inchr in rdiameter, or approximatelythediameter ofa human hair, when' moved longitudinally through Aany airgap formed by two opposing pole piees of an electromagnet whose iliixvaries in accordance'wit'h'the variations of voice or speechimpressedonamicrophone connected 5 clams. `(c1. 17a-1cm) Completion lof-Dl'ayi-ngof -the-f'rst lmentioned to the electromagnet' willlbecomemagnetiz'ed' in v longitudinal incremental portions in accordancewith variations of ythesp'und falling ony the `rr'i-icrophone', therebyrimpressing a' magnetic recordlo'n they wre. Thus'A when the'wireisrewo'und'and' passed lagain between v the same opposing poles', britthis time being connected throughy an ampli-- ner to a loudspeakenspechor music 'corresponding tothe magnetic 'wire'record will be played.Anoutstanding disadvantage in the use lof com-.-

mon types of magnetic wire' A recorclersvor repro# duc'ers has' beenthat after a programofmnsic or speechV has been recorded 'on' the wire,it is necessary to rewind the" wire on a' spool `which, of course,requires considerable time; ybeforel 'the wire may be played orreproduced vthrough an amplifyingsystem' as described hereinabove.

ttempts-"havebeen made' heretofore to ldevise wirey playing devices forluse Vexclusively to reproduce sounder music records' already impressed-uponf a' `'magnetic wire. Such devices have' 'had the outstandingdisadvantage of requiring lapse of an 'appreciable time period forrewindingfpurposes after a record has been cluding two pairs ofspols,--eacli'pairhaving a wire Wound thereon havn'glone-half of thetotall recorded programftof be played, the`-spoolsbeing so arrangedthat-when one pair of 7 spools isl winding its wire'and' playingVit,'the other Vpairof sp'ools will simultaneously rewind the other wirewhich carries the other half ofthe program, to bring'it tof the `playposition ithatis, woundcompletely on one" spoolpf thefpair) softhatl'u'pon wire, an automatic reversal'of the drive-.will be effectedso as tofeiect rewind'ing of the firstfmen# tioned Wire 'and'playing ofthe second mentioned Wire: so. as" to allow reproduction of thesecondhalt of 4the program. f

. f A still more speciiic objectf of'tliisfinvention is to providez a'wmagneticfwire vrecording device wherein twof pairs rofspools. areemployed, o'ne' spool of each pair being .coaxially'-disposedwithrespect to a spool` of the otl'ierl pair, there being onel Wire havingits endsconnected to the spools lof the respective pairs, and' a dualmagnetic pick--v upi headr throughv which said wiresare traversed, and,wherein a motor driving in a' given direction will simultaneously drive'one spool of a lpair of spools vin a clockwise direction to effectWindd gram -has been played, automatic means being played.' A 'furtherdisadvantage ofA suclr'devices` has vbeen that `they were notvfullyantomatic, hence did not .permit automatic replaying of acontinuous program'otmusic or'speech;

4AAn' object zof the present invention Yis-to provide a novel wireplayingv device which is l' devoid ot the above ricamatidisadvantagesvand which. Vis capable o1r automatically playing and replaying,continuously, a givenvprog'ram oi.' speech 'or music impressed on thewire record.` A-i3urther object'of the present invention is. to providea novel automatic electrical` controlesystent-ierv automatically playingandreplayingY a givenniag'netic wire record andrwhich hasv switchingmeans which.' 'are-not operable kby #anfing movements of aveh'icleonwhich .the playingV device and controllsystem may be supported..

Almere speciflcfobject of thenpresentinvention sito lprovide la,magnetic wire playing' device in f provided thereafter `forautomatically stopping 'the driving motor and reversing the direction ofdrive of the respective pairs of 4spools 'so as to play theaforementioned rewound wire and rewind the'Wi-re that has been played,thereby playing the second half of the program; and on completion of thesecond half, then'automaticallyrepeatingtheabove cycle andfreplayingboth halves of the program in succession. The device is thereforeespecially adapted `for continuous playing of a program of dinner musicror the like, where perhaps yaseries of selections areplayed over aperiod of afew hours, and then the series isfrepeated over and'. overagain.

Other objectswand advantages of ourinvention will become apparent 4froma study of the follonvingspecication, taken with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

Fig. l is' atop plan view of .a vmagnetic Wire present invention;

of the drawing, numerals I, 2, 3 and 4 denote' 3 iseparate spools forthe level winding .or rewinding of a pair of magnetic Wires A and B.Wires" A and B may be of steel or other magnetizable material and mayhave a diameter of the ordero'f 0.001 inch, or approximating that of ahuman hair. Opposite ends of magnetic wire A are connected to spools Iand 3. Wire A is adapted'tomove longitudinally through the gap betweenconfronting poleA piecesof one-halfof; a` dual magnetic pick-up head`33. Upon wire A there is recordedvonef-half of theentire program, so`

that as wire A iswound ontoyspool Band unwound;

from spool l, suchhalf ofthe program is played.

The other half of the program is .recorded on.

magnetic wire B whose ends are connected to spools 2 and 4 sothatrwlleny the wire B iswound onto spool 2 while being unwoundfromspool 4. and played by passingV through the lower .opposing poles of themagnetic head 3,3, the second half o fr ,thel program will be played.each wire is being played, the other vwire is being simultaneouslyrewound. I Mechanicallyboupled to spools I, I2, 3 and 4 are theoperatinggears Ia, 2a, 3a and 4a, respectively. Clutch 5 is adapted for drivingspool` I; clutch B for drivingv spool 2, clutch 'I for driving spool 4,and clutch. for.y driving spool 3.

Assume that spool 3 is empty all of wire A Wound therearound.Vy Spool3may; then be driven in ayclockwisedirection and spool, 2 driven in acounterclockwise direction. lprovided that clutches 8 and 6,respectively,-areengaged and clutches 5 and 'l disengaged. Disengagementof the lattermentioned clutches per. mits spools I yandi! toturn freely.f After all, of wire A has been played and wound onto spool 3, automaticmeans, which will be described more fully hereinafter, will effectdisengagement of clutches 6 and 8 and engagement `of clutches 5 and 7,therefore allowing spools I and 4 to become the driving spools foreffecting rewinding of. wire A and playing of wire B, respectively.Thereafter, when all of Wire B has been played, the

automaticvmechanism will again cause reversal of drive of the spools,causing spools 2 and 3 to rotate in oppositedirections and to becomethepulling or driving spools and spools I andf4 the trailing or drivenspools. y

A worm thread 9 is provided for effecting translating motion of a switchoperating mechanism which is `connected. to the clutch shiftingmechanism. Brakes I0, II, I2 and I3 are provided for braking orretarding the rotation of the trailing spools when such spools aredrivenv by pulling of the wire so as to prevent rotation of such spoolsat an excessive speed which might otherwise cause unreeling of the Wire.Shafts I4, I5, I6 and I1 are mechanically coupled to spools 4, 3, I and2, respectively. Numeral I8 denotes a clutch control arm which isreciprocated by Worm thread 9. A drive shaft 20 is connected tothefdri'ving motor SI, which motor rotates in a single direction fordriving the respective spools. osciland spool ,ig-has..

lating shaft 2| driven by cani-operated link 30 is also provided foroscillating head 33 to follow the respective wires as they are wound orunwound on the respective spools. Numerals 22 and 23 denote gear drivesfor operating timing mechanisrn 28 and for oscillating link 30. A relay24 is adapted to be operated by a microswitch 26 and a relay 25 isadapted to be operated by a CQSWQI'? 2?! 1- 1 l f if :In`` operation,ias mentioned "previously, when clutches 6 and 8 are engaged and motor3| is running, spool 3 will drive in aclockwise direction, pulling wireA from spool I and at the same time playing Wire A. Spool I isdisengaged from fanyf-drivegear and is free to rotate except for@mth'enretarding action provided by brake I3 which Y. `causessuilifcient drag to keep the Wire from running toofreely and unwindingfrom the spool. At the same time, spool 2 will drive in acounterclockwise direction, pulling Wire B from spool 4, the `latterspooi being free :to rotate except for the retarding .action provided-bybrake I I. Wire 13,`r whichiscontained on spool,4`, .;having beenwoundjthereonina v.reversedirection, does not playduringthis period .andis merely rewinding itself yontospool 2. l,Clutches 1: and 5 aredisengaged during thisperiod sol as vto.. uncouple spools anda.resnectivelnfromtlle segr, drive A150 dufinethis period. .Of @meenam l 8fastened t0 thelutch shiftingassernbly will'depress theact1,1,ating;.pir1 of..thelimitrmicroswitch 2c, effecting f the,switchcontacts and thereby preof ;potential` to the relays ,-M litcrl'iIcas,willappear in Fig. 5, has twofjsvvitches, one normally-open `andone normolly. .c.10Sed..-- With. cluthesziand. 8 engaged and A playing,the. normally.closedcontacts of h, ,Icy arepconnectedbypshieldednwire 34to tienpfmagnetic pickfup head 33 and yn Y, f-ampliiier and, loudspeaker(not shown), `S ,wit ch,lc,isactuated by an arm IBa fastened. to,4 theclutch .shifting mechanism.

f After, all :of Wire A has been played and wire B revvound-,g-fthe;following. operationA occurs: the timing mechanism 28 drives a cam 28a(seeFig. 3.);` which engages thepin .of a` microswitch 21, effectingclosing Qiitsy contacts, thereby completing a.c irc,uitvvhich 'extendsfrom terminal T2 tlirollghilimit microswitch- 3c, microswitch 21, thecoilfof' .relay 25, toterminal 'I I thereby energizinghegfrelay; coil. Aparallel circuit will extend;.from.microswitch 2lv to the left-hand coilofrelayl, thence. to line TI .Y Energization Aof the coil offwlelayfl`effects .opening of the driving motorrcontacts, 23a-to stop therotation of the spoblsiandfgthe oscillation o-f-the dual pick-up headwhich turni stops the, emission of sound from thekfaudiolamplienEnergizaticn of the coil of relayglieiects closing .of the contacts 25a,thereby ycompleting -a circuit Vfrom terminals TI and T Zthrollgh theright-hand pair of terminals of motor' 32 .which causes turning of wormthread B in .a :direction sogas :to movethe clutch shifting assemblyand; control -arm I8. downwardly. Stoppage of driving motorfg 3Iisprovided to prevent breakage-of the wire by excessive pull onreversal. As thezclutch lsl'iift-ingf assemblyv moves down- Wardly;,clutches.- 6 vand, 8 arey disengaged. Upon continued.;downwardmovement,clutches 'l and fbecomegengaged.;Asclutches 1 and 5 become engaged 'rmlifastenedftothe clutch shifting assembly engages the 'actuating pin' oflimit microswitcliificrsee.Figi 4;).f'opening its normallyclosed?ccntacts,f therefore'interrupting the ener artisan# f gina-gcircuit through thefleiutcnfamanece:

rel-'ay 29 becomes '-'deenergized faliowing contacts 29D lto close,.thereby-closing' an ferlergi-zing :cirj cuit terminals T3 and Tf1-Eto'dri-vingmotor 3=| 'The 'spools are thus f reversed; spools -ll and 4becoming the driving :spools: Whichldrivein such' direotionthatspool LIislnowip'ullmg 'inval counterwhich is' freelto turnexcept-forIthe-retarding acf" runningtoo freely. ,'wire =A iis-rewc'iundA with and-*Will complete fa .circuit 'through the'lowersection of thei'pickeup'head1-133, fperni-i-tting wire B to A'controlthe'-electromagnetfso f as *to transmit sounds through theaudio-amplifier.' 'f v i f After 'all oi -wire Bfhas been. playeda'ndywire rewound, 'the f timing mechanism' 28 i -again will' haverotated'cam- 28a=to--such=positionfthat; itfwill depress the .pin ofv`vmicroswitelf-il 28 `which com pletes an energizing circuit extendingifrom termina'l T2, 'limit' microswitch 2c,' microswitch '26, the coilyof relay S24 to terminal 'Tl thereby energizing the coil of relay2\`4a11deiecting closing of" its contacts l2 4d which Willapply-energizing poten'- ti-al-irom terminals-Tl and'TrZ tothe letpairoff terminals of :motor'32so as to drive the motorin an oppositedirection. A parallel circuit will extend'from microswitch totheyright'f'han'd coi-l of relay'29 to terminal Tl, which will effectdow-nward movement of-the armature f associated -with relay-,coillfeffecting opening-of contacts 29a.,A

interrupting energization of ldriving -i'r1otor l3|, y

thereby stoppingP-the rotationjof they spools. Starting of motor 32drives theclutch shifting assembly. andarrn i I'8\ upwardly, therebyengaging "Whilewr's and B 'have `been. -disclosedplf 1desirablepmagnetic tapes may be -used linstead; including veither asingle record or ka pluralityv of records-along the width oftherespective tapes tomake lit `possible fto play different programs,depending upon V.which of the records areinterfposed between thefopposinglpoles. of the magnetic head.v Alsdwhile the device has beenldescribedv as a Wre playing device, .it is conceivable. `that* itgwouldvrind-- usefulness for magnetic recording-,Tor perhaps 'for bothrecordingl and playing.

However, its greatest usefulness is `for automatic playing vofcontinuous records.

"Thusfii-t will 'be seen LAthat we have -provided. -an eicient,=highlyuseful and vfully automatic wire:

play-ing 'deviceW-hich enables playing lof a `prop gram-*on la -pair fof:Wire .records wherein half fof the'progra-m is impressed on eachrecord, and wherein the yrecords are played in succession ina' manner-sothat yas l:one wire yis played, thefother is simultaneously Lrevvound,thereby eliminatingany 'lostltime -for Arrewinding, also, .we haveprovided .an automatic magnetic Wire playing deviceWhereiwthelprogram,lsuchias a series of songs',` is-played scontinuously .Without interruption .and'.

tial- -is applied f-'to the electricalcontrol-systemoff the jdevice.

clutches and "8 and disengaging clutches 1 and 5. "Arm I=8b ofthe'clutch shifting assemblyw'ill depressthe actuating pin of limitmicroswitch 2c, therebyfdeenerfgizing-relaysf24 and 129. Thisvwillstopmotor .32 and start motor 3l. Thus audio sound will againbeem'ittedwhile wire A vis again played, and -theprogram will be restarted.' 'Themachine will thereforev continuetdplay Wire A and then wire B, insuccession;'simultaneously rewinding the wire'that has been played, andwillautomaticallyrepeat the entirel program by replaying Wires A and Bin succession as long as potential is applied at the terminals.

The control circuit. maybe venergized eitherVv by alternating or directcurrent, ;or af. combination of both, at the `,same crdiiferentyalues ofvoltage. For example, low potential D. C. voltage may be applied acrossterminals TI and T2` and high potential A. C. maybe applied acrosstermi'ials'liI-S'andJ-M- l-'Gr perhapsfrboth pairs of terminals may beenergized by an ordinary household 110 volt, 60 cycle A. C. source.

The dual magnetic pick-up head 33 may be either in the form of anelectromagnet having two pairs of opposing poles in a single unit, or inthe form of two separate magnetic pick-up heads .fastened together.

`Wliileiwe have fillustratedf-a certain specicem.- bodment of fourinvention, lit will .be apparent' that this isrby Wayfof illustrationonly, .and that various changesiand modifications .may 'be made within-the contemplation Aof our .invention and Withinftheiscope of thefollowing claims.

We claim:

1..'Sound vreproducing I*means rincluding .two

pairs .of fspools, tone spool of .each pair vbeing c0 axially :disposedwith .a spool of the other. pair.,

,each -pairfadapted tofselectivelywind or unwind: magnetic-ablewire-from one spool of thepair-onto the other, a double magneticypick-up head having two :pairs of opposing poles' and arranged sotha-tl-eacliI of said Wires travels through Athe magnetic air. gapformed by one slet of 'poles,1means rincludinga stationary .electricmotor -and gear means, together with a clutch shifting mecha--v nism,.for ysirnu'ltaneously driving v one pai-rf of Aspools `inone directionand the vother pair "in: ian'opposite 'direction and for reciprocatingsaid 1 recording devicel 'comprising incombinationwo pairs ofgspools,eachpair being coaxially mounted andar-ranged ,so lthat one of thespools lof each pair is -coextensive with one of the spools of the otherpair, two magnetizable Wires, eachv havingits endsrconnected to thespoolsfof the `respective ipairsin-side by side relationship, a'

magnetic pick-up head having two pairs of opposing poles and disposed so.that one of said wires will move longitudinally between one pair ofpoles and the other, between the other pair of poles, means for drivingall of said spools simultaneously, including gear means driven by anelectric motor, cem actuated linkage ineens also, driven 'by said motorfor reciprocating said head `along an axis parallel torthat Vof saidspool.

so as to follow up said wires as they are being unwound and wound on therespective pairs of spools clutch means including a separate clutch foreach of said spools, clutch shifting means-for altering the direction ofdrive of said gear means by disengaging the two trailing` spools andengaging the two leading spools, an electrical reversible; motor forshifting such clutch mea-ns rst to one position for driving one setvofspools in one direction to effect playing of the wire connected theretoand simultaneously driving the other pair of spools in the otherldirection' to eiect rewinding of the associated wire, and timer meanswhich, upon completion ofV the` simultaneous playing and rewinding ofthe respective wires, automatically eiects stoppage of the drivingmotor, shifting of said clutch means and driving of said respectivespools in an oppositedirection; to that previously driven so as torewind the previously played spool and play the ,previously wound spoolsimultaneously, and means for automatically reversing the direction ofdrive of said respective spools upon completion of said last mentionedplaying and rewinding operation.

3. An automatic playing device comprising two pairs of spools, eachhaving a magnetizable Wire wound therearound in a manner so that as one,

spool is driven, it will wind wire therearound while pulling andunwinding it fromthe other spool, a double magnetic pick-up head throughwhich saidrespective wires are adapted to travel, electric drive meansfor reciprocating said head so as to follow up said wires and forrotating all of said spools simultaneously and including gear meansandclutch shifting mechanism so as to positively drive one of each pair ofspoolssimultaneously in opposite directions for winding Wire thereaboutand for selectively eilecting reversal of saidv drives, said clutchshifting means including a reversible electric motor, timer means foractuating said clutch shifting mechanism upon completion of simultaneouswinding and rewinding operations of said respective wires, meansoperable by said clutch shifting mechanism for,v stopping the drive ofsaid spools and thereafter effecting reversal of the drive so as toeffect playing of the previously wound wire and rewinding of l thepreviously played wire, and switching means operable by said clutchshifting mechanism so as to automatically complete a recording circuitincluding only the wire that is being played andautomaticallyinterrupting the circuit through the wire that is being simultaneouslyrewovund. l

4. Apparatus recited in the next previous claim wherein said timer meansincludes a cam driven bysaid gear means and a pair of normally openlimit switches which are automatically closed by said cam to complete acircuit so as to drive said reversible motor in either one direction oran opposite direction for effecting shifting ofl said clutch shiftingmechanism, and a pair of normally closed limit switches operable afterpredetermined travel of said clutch shifting mechanism to interrupt theenergizing current to said reversible motor to effect lstoppage thereofand,

to energizegthe-driving motor t` effect driving thereof lso as to rotateall lof said spools in a direction opposite to that previously rotated.

v5. In awire playing device comprising two pairs ofzspools inside byside relationship, one of the spoolsfof each vpairs being disposed incoaxial relationship with. the other, magnetic pick-up headv meanscomprising two pairs of opposing poles for providing airgaps ofuctuating magneticdensity, a painof magnetized wires, eachy having itsendsconnected to the respective pairs of spools disposedin side by siderelationship and movable through one of said air gaps; the combinationof driving means for driving said pairs of spools in` oppositedirections, simultaneously,A

including anelectric driving motor, gear means, clutch means, and clutchshifting means, av sound reproducing system selectively connected so asto be controlled by either one or the other of said wires in response tomovements of said clutch shifting ,moana a timer mechanism operableafter, a predetermined period of time sufficient to allowy playingof onewire and rewinding of the other, said timer mechanism including a camrand a pair of microswitches, each having actuatl ing pins which areoperable automatically after predetermined rotation of said cam,v areversible motor including a pair oi' reversing switches and operatingrelays, ywhich relays are automatically and selectivelyl energizable,depending upon which of said microswitches is actuated by said cam, fordriving said reversible ymotor in one direction or an opposite directionto cause shifting of said clutch shifting means, a relay operable inresponse Ito operation of said timer mechanism actuated microswitches toeffect stoppage of said driving motor, one of said first mentionedoperating-relays also being operable thereby to effect operation ofsaid'reversible motor to operate said clutchyshiftingmeans, a'pair oflimit switches whichare normally closed and are disposed at the ends oftravel of` saidclutch shifting means so as to become opened afterpredetermined travel and thereby effect stoppage of said reversiblemotorand retarting of said driving motor,.the latter thus:.eii`ectingdriving of said wires are played in succession, they may beautomaticallyl replayed` while the other of said wires issimultaneouslyA rewound.

. s WILBUR W. BIRKES. EDWIN F. HEMBREE.

REFERENCES CITED `Thel following referencesv are of record in the ille;of this patent:

STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 773,985 Y. Ries Nov, l, 1904 2.418,542 vCamras Apr. 8, 1947

